Strawberry Panic: The Past of Hanazono Shizuma
by Ryn Hallard
Summary: This is the story of the goddess, Hanazono Shizuma and her past, right down to when she was just a new born.  shelved
1. The Birth of a Goddess

Disclaimer: I do not own Strawberry Panic. Characters Hanazono Saeko, Hanazono Hirako, Hirano Aki and Matsuoka Ai are characters from my imagination.

This is my first fanfiction ^_^ I hope you will like what you see.

_Chapter One: The Birth of a Goddess_

"Waaaah… waaaah….." An infant's cries were heard thorough the hospital ward. A worried young man rushed to the delivery room with a mixture of happiness and relief. He saw his wife, an elegant silver-haired woman, exhausted and panting with her child crying in the doctor's arms.

"Congratulations, you have a healthy baby girl!" The doctor made the generic statement, which was ignored by the man who held his wife's hand dearly, tears welling up in his eyes. Fortunately, he held back and comforted his exhausted wife, "Our darling Shizuma is very cute, take a rest Saeko."

~Two Years Later~

"Ahaha… Ooh…" Young Shizuma played with one of the household's maid whose turn came to take care of Shizuma and keep her company when her parents are busy, her father, Hanazono Hirako, either on business trips or losing track of time while he works in his office and when her mother, Hanazono Saeko, reprimands Hirako for spending too much time on work.

"Ah… it tickles!" the newly employed maid, Hirano Aki, laughed. Shizuma was grabbing onto her hand and realizing how soft they were, started to press her fingers in curiosity and fun. Suddenly, the toddler placed one of the maid's fingers into her mouth, sucking on it like a candy and nibbling it lightly occasionally, startling Hirano Aki.

"Don't do that, Shizuma-chan!" Aki exclaimed. She attempted to pull out her finger; however the silver-haired toddler wouldn't stop sucking it. Instead, the toddler nibbled harder on the finger. No matter what she did, baby Shizuma just wouldn't release her finger. While Aki continued her attempts to free her finger, a musical melody was heard. Baby Shizuma listened to the piano melody and slowly fell asleep, lying on her side and let out little snores.

"Eh?" Aki turned her head to face the clock on the wall and realized that it was Shizuma's nap time and that the melody was actually a lullaby played by Saeko, who was a brilliant pianist. As Aki carried Shizuma in her arms, she realized that Shizuma was still holding onto her finger, even though the sucking and nibbling subsided. "My, my…" Aki smiled at Shizuma, whom she placed in her crib and stirred in her sleep, snoring softly.

~Four Years Later~

"Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew…" A young girl read silently at her study table in her table. "…hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with…" Her reading was interrupted by a knock on her door. Slightly irritated, she marked the page with a bookmark, closed the book and gave the knocker permission to enter her bedroom.

Her bedroom was unusually large and empty, slightly gloomy, the only light source shining into the room through her white curtain. The walls were brown and the carpet floor was dark brown. A giant bed sat at the end of the room with more white veils draped over the poles of the bed.

"Shizuma, it is time for your piano lessons. Come to the piano room in five minutes." Saeko came to remind her. "Yes, Mother." Shizuma replied, standing up and placed her book away before preparing her piano notes which she used to revise for her piano theory tests and left for the piano room with a slight smile on her face.

"Good afternoon, Matsuoka-sensei." The silver-haired girl greeted her teacher with a smile. "Good afternoon, Shizuma-san." Her teacher, Matsuoka Ai, replied with a similar smile. "Shall we start our lesson? I hope you have sufficient practice for the piece of music which was your homework." "Yes, sensei." Shizuma sat in front of her family's Grand Piano and waited for her teacher's cue.

"You may begin." Shizuma relaxed and played her favourite piece, Maiden's Prayer. Her long, slender fingers played the notes flawlessly, creating a soothing melody that resonated thorough the mansion. When she finished playing the piece, Matsuoka Ai was again, surprised by the child's musical talent.

"You never fail to surprise me, Shizuma-chan." Matsuoka Ai laughed. "Well, my job here IS to surprise you!" Shizuma replied laughing. "I heard that, Shizuma." A cold voice interrupted the laughter. Shizuma turned to face the source of the voice and saw her mother, wearing an irritated expression on her face. Shizuma and Ai were in a state of shock till Saeko grinned.

"Just kidding! You never fail to attract me to the piano room." Laughter exploded from the three people and Shizuma asked, "What did you come here for, Mother? Normally you would only hide behind the door and listened to my practices." Saeko was slightly surprised, wondering how Shizuma knew that she was listening behind the door, but decided to answer her question instead of asking for an explanation.

"Well… I forgot to tell you that we're invited to the Rokujou Mansion for their daughter's sixth birthday which is today." Saeko explained sheepishly. Shizuma tilted her head slightly to the side and asked, "Who's the birthday girl?" "It's Miyuki-chan; you've never met her before. But I think you'll like her." Saeko smiled. "The party's at night. Be prepared for it by six." She then addressed Ai, "Sorry to interrupt your lesson Matsuoka-san. I'll leave now."

Saeko was about to leave the room when Shizuma spoke, "Why don't Mother stay instead? It's better than standing behind the door; legs aching after a while, leaving to attend to some minor chore before realizing there's nothing to do due to the efficiency of our maids and ended up bored and listening to my practices behind the door again. There's a nice sofa over there and I don't think it's covered in dust."

Saeko's mouth hanged slightly ajar from shock that her daughter actually knew about the cycle that she was always trapped in. She recovered quickly from the shock before sitting onto the sofa and watching Ai asking Shizuma to play another piece of music.

Shizuma sat down comfortably before touching the keys with her fingers, contemplating the next music to play and had an idea. She played the soothing melody which she often listened to, her fingers dancing gracefully on the keys. A while later, Shizuma looked across the piano to see her mother sleeping on the sofa and couldn't help but stifle a laugh.

"Alright, lesson is over. Enjoy the party at the Rokujou Mansion." Ai winked.


	2. Unexpected Encounter

Disclaimer: I do not own Strawberry Panic. Characters Hanazono Saeko, Hanazono Hirako, Hirano Aki and Matsuoka Ai are characters from my imagination.

Sorry for being slow, dealing with writer's block and slight confusion from the storyline of the anime. This is the second chapter :D Please enjoy~

Chapter Two: Unexpected Encounter

The large mansion was filled with people, either celebrating the Rokujou's daughter's sixth birthday or just to make their presence. The Hanazono Family stepped into the Rokujou Mansion, Saeko entering the door with her husband walking beside her and Shizuma following behind. They walked to the hall and were greeted by a woman with hair in the darker shade of blue whose name is Rokujou Mami.

"Welcome, how are you?" Saeko greeted back and were soon engrossed in their conversation with other women. Hirako, feeling slightly bored and out of place, decided to enjoy some wine in the corner of the room. Shizuma tagged with her mother and looked around, wondering where the said birthday girl is.

"Weird... Oh well, I don't really feel like attending this party anyway." Shizuma thought to herself. Feeling bored and awkward in the formal atmosphere the Rokujou Mansion made, she decided to take a walk in the mansion's garden. Seeing that her mother was engrossed in her conversation, she sneaked out of the mansion without informing her mother and made her way to the garden.

When Shizuma reached the garden, there were few people there except for people taking a breather, though she heard muffled voices coming from the darkness but she decided that it's better not to investigate the source of the voices. She walked and walked before realising that she's very far away from the mansion and the mansion looked like a small hut.

"Ugggh..." She heard, coming from nearby bushes. She walked towards the bushes and discovered a girl, who looked of similar age, holding onto her ankle in pain. "Are you okay?" Shizuma asked and the girl replied, "...No." "Let me carry you back to the mansion!" "..." Shizuma bent down, gesturing for the girl to climb onto her back. "Sorry to trouble you." The girl apologised as she climbed onto Shizuma's back. Shizuma stood up and smiled, "It's okay."

Taken a liking to the girl, Shizuma asked, "What's your name?" The girl was dozing off and was slightly startled by Shizuma's voice. She replied, "My name is Rokujou Miyuki. What's your name?" Shizuma was slightly surprised that she was carrying the birthday girl when she was supposed to be in the mansion. "Ah... My name is Hanazono Shizuma. Happy birthday, Miyuki-san." "Thanks! You need not be that formal with me though." Miyuki laughed.

"Then... I'll call you Miyuki? In front of our parents I'll call you Miyuki-san." Shizuma suggested to the sleepy Miyuki. "Okay." They continued walking silently before Shizuma asked, "What were you doing there? Weren't you supposed to be in the mansion?" "Actually I sneaked out to unwind. It just feels weird, having people congratulate you for your birthday but not feel happy at all. You're the first one who made me feel happy with just a simple 'Happy birthday', excluding my parents of course." Miyuki explained with her eyes closed.

"I feel honoured." Shizuma joked and asked Miyuki to continue her story. "Right, the story! I sneaked out and strolled. Suddenly, I heard soft voices that sounded weird, so I decided to check it out. I saw two women ki... ki..." "Ki-?" Shizuma asked, looking back and saw Miyuki blushing deeply. Shizuma raised her eyebrows, blushed a little and said, "Uhh... You don't need to say what you saw. After that what happen?"

"Wh-what? Oh, the st-story. I saw them doing 'something'; I was shocked and ran away. I think they might have heard me gasping. I ran for a long time and before I knew it, I fell down and hurt my ankle. Luckily, you came and rescued me." Miyuki smiled, still blushing lightly.

"Well... I didn't know that you were here, I didn't even know that you're not in the mansion!" Shizuma laughed and Miyuki laughed with her. Finally, they reached the mansion and they entered the mansion together. Most of the guests have left, only a few people are left talking to Miyuki's mother and some talking to Hirako while Saeko was nowhere to be seen.

Shizuma, still carrying the injured Miyuki, walked to the entrance of the hall and was wondering whether to inform the adults or the maids of Miyuki's injury. Before she could make her decision, Saeko returned from the washroom and saw Shizuma's and Miyuki's silhouettes.

"Oh my! What happened?" Saeko's anxious voice was heard from outside the hall. Mami and Hirako heard her voice and rushed out to see the commotion. They saw their daughter carried by Shizuma and Saeko was talking to a maid, who left in a hurry.

"Miyuki! What happened? Where were you?" Mami asked Miyuki who is now gingerly getting off Shizuma's back and attempting to sit on a wheelchair, which the maid brought with her according to Saeko's instructions, without putting pressure on her fractured ankle.

"Uhhh... I was strolling in our garden?" Miyuki smiled sheepishly but stopped when she saw her mother sigh and asked Shizuma, "What happened to Miyuki?" Shizuma explained everything that happened, excluding the part where Miyuki saw the women doing 'something'. Mami's face went from to concern to suspicion.

"Why was Miyuki running?" She asked and Shizuma found herself opening and closing her mouth like a goldfish and blushing slightly, unable to make up an explanation. "I saw a giant moth and I was so scared I ran away!" Miyuki explained, slightly flustered but Mami believed her explanation.

Mami calls for her butler and instructed him to prepare for a trip to the hospital. Hirako places his hand on his wife's shoulder and said, "We should return home now." "Ok." She agreed and Hirako pressed a speed dial in his phone and instructed the family chauffeur to get ready. Shizuma looked at Miyuki and whispered under her breath as Miyuki was being pushed away.

"... Bye, Miyuki."


	3. The Shattering of a Peaceful Dream

Disclaimer: I do not own Strawberry Panic. Sorry it took me this long to update the story. Life is busy, and I admit I'm lazy :

_Chapter Three: The Shattering of a Peaceful Life_

It is morning. Light pierced through the translucent white curtain, brightening the room. A young girl stirred in her sleep as she portrayed the image of an angel in slumber. As she slept, angry voices exploded from somewhere in the Hanazono mansion. Shizuma's eyebrows furrowed.

She sat up and rubbed her eyebrows in slight irritation, wondering the commotion was about. As she sat there listening to the voices, she noticed that the voices were getting louder and louder but nowhere clear enough to interpret their words.

Feeling a little worried, Shizuma groggily climbed out of her bed and dragged herself to investigate the source of the disturbance. If it was caused by the servants of the Hanazono family, she could stop it. After all, Shizuma is still the young mistress of the household, the sole heiress to the multi-billion dollar empire her father owns and possibly the future head of the Hanazono clan, unless her father 'accidentally' spared her of the role by having a son.

Sighing, Shizuma took an elevator to several levels before stopping at the top level, level five. Shizuma walked down the winding hallway and stopped when she spotted a crowd. Maids and even the butler huddled outside a room – Hirako's study room. Nothing but shouting can be heard, Shizuma noted. She deduced that her maids were eavesdropping on the two voices from the other side of the door.

Shizuma sneaked behind the maids and hid behind the butler, who stood the furthest from the maids but had one of the best areas to eavesdrop. To avoid attracting unwanted attention, the girl kneeled down on one of her knees. She pressed her ear against the wall.

"Let me ask you again. Why were you seen touching our maids and kissing them?" "…" "Answer me, Saeko!" Shizuma almost gasped from what the voice just said. 'Touching… kissing…? Mother?' The young heiress took deep breaths and continued to listen.

"Do you know how our little girls cleaned the mansion so diligently? I only gave them a push and rewarded them when their work is satisfactory." Saeko sighed loudly. "This isn't about the maids, Saeko! I mean, who in the right mind would give those kind of 'rewards' to their maids?" "… Looks like we have nothing to talk about, Hirako. We'll have a divorce." Soft cries of shock erupted from the maids. Hirako noticed the noises and snapped at Saeko, "Fine. Get out of this mansion by noon."

The maids dispersed quickly after the Hirako's snapped. Shizuma stood up and panicked, her mind still unable to believe what she just heard. She ran as fast as she could into the direction of a maid and crashed into her. "Shizuma-chan?" Aki gasped and almost fell from the impact made by her young mistress.

"Aki-neechan!" Shizuma looked into the familiar face of the maid who has been the closest to her, apart from her mother. "What just ha-" Shizuma was whisked away by Aki before anything else could be said.

Saeko calmly walked towards to large mahogany door and held the door knob before Hirako glared at her and said, "Don't even think about taking my daughter away… Hinarako Saeko." The words pierced through Saeko's heart. The woman felt as though her heart was torn to shreds. She looked back and smiled rebelliously at the man who made her heart bleed, her anger dancing in her eyes, "Why should I listen to you? You're not my husband."

The young girl sat dazed in her bedroom, her maid sitting opposite her. Nothing was heard from her young mistress and that worried her. She decided to get a cup of water for her young mistress. As Aki stood up, she felt a tug on her skirt and she heard a soft voice.

"Don't go." Shizuma spoke weakly to her maid. Aki sat down quickly and held onto Shizuma's hand. Shizuma looked at Aki and asked, "Mother… did she… you know… actually did what Father said?" "Shizuma-chan…" Aki could not find a way to explain her mother's actions to the young girl who barely reached the age of ten.

"Ummm…" "Please explain, Aki-neechan!" Shizuma looked into her maid's eyes. Aki felt like her young mistress's eyes bored holes into her head. The maid looked back at the young girl, then thought of how the young girl's mother treated her and the other maids like her own children. "…No. Now that I think about it, all of us were more like Saeko-sama's little harem." Aki corrected her thoughts. She shook her head and looked at Shizuma again.

Shizuma stared at her maid, rubbing her eyes every now and then. Finally, she could not wait any longer and poked Aki's cheek, as thought to say, _"Oh, say something or I'll poke you!"_ Aki took a moment to respond to Shizuma's antic and reacted five seconds later. She looked at Shizuma in surprise and gasped.

Shizuma pulled her lower eyelid and stick out her tongue in an attempt to irritate Aki. "Ahahaha! Oh, Shizuma-chan, silly girl." She laughed. "… Your mother was the best person I've ever met. Not only was she friendly, she also always helped us when we're in need or cheered us up when we're down. Not to mention she actually had an artificial hot springs made in the maids' quarters, which is something employers will never do."

Shizuma listened and asked, "Well… so?" Aki continued, "Sometimes she would join us in the hot springs when your father was away and you were asleep. Well… don't tell anyone I told you this." Shizuma nodded her head and Aki went on, "Sometime, things would start to get intimate. After the bath the maids will go to sleep. Your mother would ambush one of us when we are in our beds…"

Shizuma stared at her with wide eyes. It surprised Aki, making her stop. "Ahhhh… Your pitcher is empty; I shall go get some water." Shizuma sat there, thinking. She made her decision.

-An hour later-

"…Mother? I wish to talk to you."


	4. Love and Hate

Author's notes: I've decided to remove the honorifics, they're troublesome. My apologies to HolyRiot11 and other readers for being so slow.

_Chapter Four: Love and Hate_

Shizuma stood outside the door of the master bedroom, seeking the permission to enter the room. As she waited, she fell into a daze. _This is it. My parents are going to divorce and I know I will not be able to stop it. If that's so, why am I still standing out here like a fool? I should go back to my bedroom and pretend nothing had happened._ She turned around to walk away but her body would not listen to her command, stopping her from walking away. She clenched her fist and held it close to her heart. _No. I shouldn't walk away. I have to know; why did Mother do what she did? The most disturbing thing is that I don't find it wrong. I'm only sad because Mother cheated on Father, but I don't feel angry when she slept with our maids, why? Why do I feel so confused? _Shizuma sat on the carpet flooring, hugging her legs together and lowering her head onto her knees. After what it seems like an eternity, a voice echoed down the hallway.

"Shizuma." Shizuma lifted her head and sees her mother, her face betraying none of her emotions. "Mother…" Shizuma's voice trailed off._ How I wish I did not wait for Mother here, showing Mother my weak side, the side your daughter never shown. _ Saeko walked towards the master bedroom and opens the door, the room emitting a faint scent of lavender. "Come with me, Shizuma." Saeko asked, which Shizuma did.

The master bedroom's design is somewhat similar to Shizuma's, except Saeko had spent more time on furnishing the room than Shizuma, who preferred to keep her bedroom simple and tidy, free of the clutter which her mother calls 'creative works of art'. Honestly, Shizuma couldn't tell how different they were from trash and her mother only laughed, "You'll see it one day, Shizuma!"

Saeko walked towards the king-sized bed in the bedroom and sat down, lifting one of her legs over the other and crossing them. Her arms supported her body from behind, pressing against the comfortable bed and smiled. Shizuma just simply stood in front of her mother, a hint of determination from her golden eyes evident to Saeko. "So, why are you huddling outside your father's bedroom? Awww, you want someone to cuddle you? You don't have to wait there you know." Saeko teased and Shizuma's eyebrows furrowed. "No, of course not!" Shizuma blushed lightly and turned her head away from her mother, crossing her arms and shifting her weight to one of her legs. "I was waiting outside because…" _Say it Shizuma, say it! _Shizuma swallowed dryly before she continues, "I heard that… Mother quarreled with Father and has decided to file for a divorce."

Saeko's expression never change and she replied, "Ah yes… we did quarrel and decided to file for a divorce. Don't worry Shizuma; we won't split you in half like how we are going to split our assets." Shizuma's mother gave a hearty laugh, which sounded slightly depressing to Shizuma. Saeko's expression changed, giving her daughter a dead serious face and spoke, "Most likely you're going to be with your Father, since you have the Hanazono blood flowing in you. The Hanazono clan will do whatever it takes to make you stay if I were to take you away." _Well, I'll just visit her when I'm free then._ Shizuma thought sadly to herself.

"Then… ummm…" Shizuma shifted uneasily, earning a smirk from her mother. "You wish to ask about why I would bed our maids?" Shizuma stopped fidgeting and looked at her mother, nodding slowly. "Well… to be honest, I've always attracted to girls when I was a kid." Saeko paused to let the words sink in, anticipating her daughter's reaction. Shizuma's jaw dropped and she quickly closed her mouth and blinked. "You WHAT?" Saeko went gasping for air from laughing at her daughter and replied, "Yes, I'm attracted to girls. Mine and your Father's marriage is more of a political marriage, though Hirako admitted he was slightly attracted to me when we met around your age. Well, it was obvious. He was blushing and putting on a goofy smile. We were told we are engaged. He was quite happy, grinning like there's no tomorrow. I simply regarded him as a good friend and pretended the engagement never happened." Saeko switched the positions of her slender legs and continued.

"We went on dates several times. When we were fourteen, we were accompanied by his butler and my maid. Our parents wanted to make sure we won't do anything intimate, not like I would allow that to happen. Instead, I often made my way to the toilet when he started to become absorbed in staring at me. It's the only way I can finally release my stress. My maid was always dragged into the toilet with me and I'll observe her. I always enjoy seeing her squirm and blush when I comment about her appearance. One day when I was seventeen I couldn't take it anymore. Hirako was looking at me like the way I stare at the maids and I left for the toilet, my maid following me in. She asked me whether I was feeling alright. I looked at her and simply dragged her into one of the cubicles. That was the first time I touched another girl. It was about an hour later when we cleaned ourselves up and left the toilet. Hirako was getting impatient. He asked me why I took so long in the toilet and I just told him there was a cat which kept getting into my cubicle and I almost smirked when I see my maid blushing heavily. Instead I gave a smile to Hirako and apologized. What's with that look on your face?" Saeko cocked an eyebrow at Shizuma.

"I don't know… I can't help it. I can't stop smiling…" Shizuma furrowed her eyebrows and sat on her mother's bed in confusion. "Don't tell me… You preferred girls too?" Saeko laughed at Shizuma's blush. Shizuma's head turned away in annoyance. "My, my. I had a hunch but I didn't expect it to be true." Her face went serious again, "Listen." Shizuma faced her mother. "The clan has found a fiancé for you. Tell me, do you wish to dedicate your life to a man whom you do not love?" Shizuma frowned and turned her head. _A fiancé… I don't know._ Getting impatient, Saeko held Shizuma's chin and turned her head back. "If you don't wish to get married, I have a plan for you. I've enrolled you into St. Miator Institute and you'll continue your studies there next week. It's an all-girls school and you'll study there till you're eighteen. You'll be staying in a dorm, possibly with another girl. While you're studying there, think about your engagement. Do you really want to marry the man? Or do you wish to stay true to yourself, think about it. Text me your decision when you're eighteen and have made up your mind. I make some arrangements for you."

"I don't have much time left. Hirako will talk to you about Miator's, so… don't get too surprised. I've prepared a mobile phone for you for this kind of situations and I've added my phone number in. Hirako doesn't know about this so don't tell him." Saeko walked towards her dressing table and pulled one of the drawers. She took out a small box and gave it to Shizuma. "We'll continue to keep in touch this way." Shizuma took the box slowly and looked at her mother, who was smiling again. _Mother… You are spoiling me again… You've spoiled me too much. When there's something I don't like you will always get it replaced immediately. When there's a particular lesson I disliked you got the teacher replaced. Mother… You're too much._ Tears came to Shizuma's eyes and she tried her best to hold them back. Saeko noticed her daughter's tears. Smiling tenderly, she pulled Shizuma's face closer by her chin and she placed a light kiss on her daughter's lips. Shizuma's eyes widened, causing her tears to fall. _Mother? This... Too cruel…_ Before Shizuma knew it, Saeko pulled back the kiss and smiled. She stood up and walked towards the door with her packed luggage.

"Oh yes, you'll be meeting your fiancé tomorrow, I'll text you about it tonight. Goodbye, Shizuma." She smiled and left the room, leaving Shizuma in the room in shock, her fingers reaching up to touch her trembling lips. _Mother…_

On the other side of the door, Saeko bursts into tears. _Shizuma…_


	5. Choices

Author's words: I started as soon as my examinations were over, which is three weeks after the update of chapter four, though I still procrastinated. XD Update will also be faster since I'll be allowed to use the laptop everyday. There will be characters from other animes included as side characters, mostly from Mai HiME and Mai Otome coz thinking of a name is hard ;T. Their personalities will be somewhat AU, since they are going to be background characters. Is this considered a crossover now?

Strawberry Panic's not mine. Mai HiME and Mai Otome are not mine too, not that any of their characters appeared in this fanfic. At least not yet. The Saeko in this fic is not Natsuki's mom either, just saying.

_Chapter Five: Choices_

The silver hair woman walked down the hallways, pulling her suitcase behind her. Wearing a mask, she smiles to the maids she passed by and blew kisses to some of them. Deep down, she wishes she has a bottle of sake with her right now. _I'll finally be able to drink it from a bottle._ Saeko joked and thought about how her mother is going to nag at her when she catches her drinking. _When I reach home… Mom's going to nag at me again, even if she hasn't heard of the divorce. For Dad… I bet he's going to disown me like how he always said he would before this marriage. I wonder how Aoi is. It's been such a long time since I last saw her… Has she grown into a fine woman? I guess I'll find out soon enough._ Saeko makes her way down a flight of stairs and stood in front of the large doors that almost made her gasp in awe when she first came here as a child. Now, she's leaving the house for good through the same doors. A wave of nostalgia swept over Saeko's heart and it stings the fresh wound over and over, causing the first cracks to appear on the mask. _Will I ever see you again, Shizuma?_ Saeko dropped her head, her mask shattered but remained on her face. Her tears seeped through the little lines covering the mask which spread all over like a web.

Shizuma sat blankly on the bed in the master bedroom, trying to remember what has just transpired. Her fingers touched her lips gingerly and she lifted them off quickly, staring at them in bewilderment. _Did Mother just…? But that's… It's so… Still…Argh! Make up your mind, Shizuma! She's your mother and you are her daughter, what else should you do? _"Go after her?" Shizuma mumbled. _That's right! Now go quickly, Hanazono Shizuma! She'll step out of the door any minute now, hurry hurry! _"Mother!" She exclaimed, jumping off the bed and rushing out of the door, leaving it open in a hurry. "I can't believe I just listened to a random voice in my head." Shizuma mumbled, shaking her head and ran down the hallways. _I'm not a random voice! I'm just_ _the rational part of you giving you some suggestions. _"Oh quiet, you!" The girl thought to herself in annoyance and stopped at the staircase leading to the main hall. She stood there watching her mother, stooped and does not seem to want to walk out anytime soon. The first drop of tears appeared in the yellow eyes and her gentle hands clenched into fists, the girl finally felt the impact from reality: Her mother is leaving her.

The pieces of the mask started to fall from her face. The piece holding her cheeky smile together fell first, revealing a frown forcibly restrained by its owner to remain shut, the lips trembling slightly in protest. The tears visibly left a trail down her face and dripped onto the marble floor, followed by another piece of the mask which shattered into little pieces upon impact. Her right eye was now visible, the light brown overflowing with tears and trailing down her cheeks, which were still hidden by the now fragile mask. With the weakening of the shell, her voice could finally escape a little between her lips. "Shizuma…" She mumbled, her voice trembled as it speaks against its owner's will.

"Mother! Please… take me with you!" A young voice cried out to the distraught woman. The rest of the pieces peeled itself off of her face and finally fell off, revealing Saeko's true emotion: Sadness. _Shizuma… How I wish I could take you with me…_ She wiped away her tears and tried to put on her best smile, a futile attempt as the mask shattered immediately after its formation. She shook her head and patted her cheeks, giving herself some encouragement before turning around to meet her daughter one last time. "No, Shizuma. I cannot take you with me, it is not right." Her now stronger voice echoed around the main hall. "I don't care! Take me with you Mother!" Shizuma ran down the steps and tackled her mother into a tight embrace, her tears staining her mother's chest as she cried.

"Shizuma, let go of her." A stern voice ordered Shizuma from afar. Shizuma peeked out and saw her father walking down the steps. "Father…" Shizuma weakly responded between hiccups. "You heard me. Let go, Shizuma. Get your hands off her… _Miss_ _Ayuzawa_." Ayuzawa Saeko looked down at the sobbing Shizuma who's still clinging onto her and her mask formed a perfectly sweet smile as soon as her eyes landed on the man who used to be her husband. "Oh… _Hirako_, can't you just be a gentleman and shut up when we're having a touching mother-daughter moment here? Sheesh." Saeko tilted her head to a side and put on a dramatic frown. "Oh please, Miss Ayuzawa, you're not Shizuma's mother ever since you had your affairs." The man crossed his arms impatiently and glared at Saeko who returned to her sweet smile. "I'm not? We're still related by blood anyway so there. I'm Shizuma's mother, can't you even let us spend our last moment together in peace?" "… Make it quick." The man huffed.

_Stop acting like that, Mother! Look, your fingers are clenching together! _Shizuma's eyes looked up at her mother's face. Saeko smiled into Shizuma's eyes and lifted a gentle hand onto Shizuma's head, running her slender fingers through her daughter's hair. "My dearest Shizuma, please pretend you didn't hear my little mistake just now." "What mistake?" "Good girl." The duo exchanged cheeky smiles then Shizuma spoke, "I'll wait for your call, Miss Ayuzawa." "That's Mother to you, Miss Hanazono." Saeko giggled and released Shizuma from the embrace. "We're done, Hira- Mr Hanazono." Saeko waved towards Shizuma's father, who kept a stoic expression on his face, and smirked. "Au revoir, Shizuma." Saeko patted Shizuma's head and Shizuma smiled in response, "Au revoir, Mother." Saeko smiled gently and opened the door, making her way to the carpark and made what seemed to be a groan as she looks at her car and her Ducati 848. Before Shizuma could see what her mother was going to do next, the door was closed shut, startling Shizuma. "Breakfast, Shizuma?" Hirako asked his daughter with a smile. "Sure, whatever…" Shizuma rolled her eyes and left for the master bedroom.

A/N: Visit my Strawberry Panic forum please! The link's in my profile!


	6. Independence

A/N: Enjoy! Also, please review! :)

_Chapter Six: Independence_

_Mother left, she left, and I'm all alone, aren't I? Father will never bother about me. Aki and the other maids can't replace Mother. Isn't there anyone around who would care for me anymore?_ Shizuma sighed and entered the master bedroom, taking the small box she left behind and quickly left for her own bedroom which is three doors away. She always enjoyed the feeling she got when she is in her bedroom, feeling refreshed and energetic. But today, it just felt emptier than when her mother just left. She lay down on the bed and lifted the lid off the box, pouring the contents on to the bed. There lay a sleek mobile phone, its charger, a pack of chewing gum and a scented piece of paper. Shizuma took the note and read it, "_Shizuma, this is a phone. Hope you like it. There's also a pack of chewing gum, couldn't finish it. Have fun chewing! From, Ayuzawa Saeko."_ Shizuma picked up the phone and switched it on. It showed a start up screen, then a home screen. The background was a photo of Saeko with a cheeky smile and a peace sign. Shizuma smiled and looked through the contacts screen. It only had her mother's phone number inside. Before Shizuma could explore the other areas of the phone, it made a noise, startling Shizuma into dropping the phone on her bed.

The girl quickly grabbed the phone and noticed that it has received a text message. It read, "_Hey Shizuma! Im now driving my baby to ur grandparent's, the phone is neat huh? I left my bike in the Hanazono carpark, it's now urs. The keys are hanging there, go get it! I wanna see you riding that baby when you're older, say… after graduation? Hope 2 see you soon!" _"Love, your Mother. P.S: That's Mother to you, Missy!" Shizuma read out and laughed. Her fingers pressed the buttons on the phone slowly, "_Thanks, love you mom!" _and sent it. She stuffed the gift into her pocket and ran out of her bedroom door, almost ramming into Aki. "Breakfast is ready, Young Mistress!" Aki shouted after Shizuma, who ran away and only replied, "Right, later!" and ran down the hallways and stairs to the carpark. A bike stood there, waiting. Shizuma rushed to the bike and grabbed the keys. "Mother's Ducati 848, shiny as always." Her eyes shined as she hugged the metallic body. "You're mine now. I'll sneak you off to Miator if I have to!" The young girl then ran into the mansion, hungry for breakfast.

Shizuma plopped herself onto her usual seat and said her prayers together with her father, though she spoke quicker just to irritate Hirako. _Drat._ Hirako brushed it off and began to dig into his breakfast: A bowl of pumpkin porridge. Shizuma dug into hers, scooping some porridge into her bowl and blowing it gently before drinking it. The porridge still managed to sting her tongue and she winced. She took a few more scoops and got used to the heat. Silence kept the father and daughter apart. Suddenly, it was broken. "Shizuma." "What?" "You'll start in St. Miator's next week. "Right." Hirako looked at Shizuma, surprised at her reply. "Miss Ayuzawa told you?" Shizuma peeled her eyes away from her porridge in anger and replied, "Yeah, _Mother_ told me that." Hirako's eyes darkened and said in a low voice, "She's not your mother." Before Shizuma could retort, he continued. "You're going to St. Miator's next week. It's a great opportunity to make some friends. It's better than staying in your room all day." Shizuma rolled her eyes and replied, "No difference to me."

The two Hanazonos continued eating their breakfast before Hirako spoke again, "The Rokujous are coming tomorrow." "What for?" Shizuma asked, keeping up her appearance of a defiant child to mask her curiosity. "Your fiancé is coming tomorrow." "Oh. Rokujou…" _Where have I heard that name before…? Rokujou, Rokujou… OH Rokujou! Miyuki's family. _Shizuma tried her best to keep her excitement down and asked, "Everyone's coming?" Hirako gave a sideways glance to Shizuma and then returned to his breakfast. "Well, yes." Shizuma gave a sigh.

Shizuma returned to her bedroom and laid on her bed, her right arm over her forehead and her other arm by her side. She felt lost, with her mother forcefully pulled out of her life Shizuma didn't know what to do. She turned to her side, facing the window, and sighed. Shizuma took out the pack of chewing gum and popped a piece into her mouth. The mint stings, but she got used to it quickly. She reached into her pocket and took out her phone, typing in a text message. _"Hey mom :)."_ Saeko's reply came quickly, to Shizuma's delight. _Hey sweetie. What r u doing? I'm now at your grandparent's. Your grandfather's pretty pissed, but they're happy to welcome me back."_

Thinking for a while, Shizuma typed in her reply and sent it. _"That's great, mom. Tell grandfather and grandmother I said hi. Mom, I really miss you."_ She left her phone on the bed and walked across the room. She opened her wardrobe and unbuttoned her pajamas, dropping the top onto the floor followed by the bottoms. Shizuma stood there, clad only in a pair of pure white underwear and choosing the clothes she is going to wear for the day. Listlessly, she looks through at her clothes, each costing much more than it is worth.

Shizuma's favourite maid, Hirano Aki, was walking down the hallway and humming her favourite tune, a melody from a piece of music she often overheard her previous mistress playing on the piano. _I wonder how's Shizuma… It must be tough for her since Miss Saeko left. I bet she's feeling lonely… Maybe I should go comfort her? _The maid nodded to herself, smiling. She took a left turn and stopped in front of Shizuma's room."Hey Shizuma, how are-." The rest of her sentence hung in her throat as she looked at the young mistress only wearing a pair of panties and the other areas of skin visibly clear to the maid's eyes.

"Hey Shizuma, how are-" Shizuma turned her head and saw Aki, blushing heavily and mouth agape. Shizuma flustered, blushing a deep red and covered her yet-to-develop chest with her arms. "A-Aki? Why didn't you knock the door before coming in? Close the door!" "Y-yes!" Aki closed the door and laid her head on it in embarrassment. Shizuma faced her wardrobe again and hastily pulled out a white blouse with a red ribbon and a pair of shorts. She put them on and opened the door in a hurry, catching the leaning Aki unawares causing her to crash onto the carpet flooring with her young mistress underneath.

"Ouch…" The maid groaned as she elbowed herself away from the floor. Suddenly, she felt a weird sensation on her breasts, as though someone is trying to snuggle deeper into them. _Like Miss Saeko…_ Or struggling to breathe. Meanwhile…

"Ah-choo!" Ayuzawa Saeko sneezed suddenly while she kept her family's horses company. "God blesses you!" A voice called out from outside the stables. "Yeah, mom! And he screws my life too!" Her head was suddenly whacked from behind and she sees her younger sister glaring at her. "Aoi! I missed you!" The silver haired beauty hugged her younger sister, a brunette with light blue hair that is tied up into a pony tail that reaches her shoulder blades. "Hey sis, I missed you too." She hugged back happily. "I bet someone was talking about you." She grinned and released the hug. "Yeah, maybe." Saeko rubbed her noise and gave a goofy smile.

Aki looked down and she blushed harder, her face looked like that of a strawberry. Her young mistress's face is trapped under her breasts and she struggles to escape, moving her head in an attempt to get some fresh air. _Oh… my god._

_A/N: Astraea Hill, the home of beautiful young girls. Join them in their search for unrequited love!_

_http:/ astraeahill. forumsmotion. com_


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